Lock core



' 3, 1957 F. E. BEST Loox com:

Filed Feb. 26. 195:5

`aNvENTOR "n" nl nited States Patent 2,814,941 Patented Dec. 3, 1957LOCK CORE Frank Ellison Best, Indianapolis, 1nd. Application February26, 1953, Serial No. 339,051 Claims. (Cl. 70--340) Nature and objects Myinvention comprises improvements in lock cores and relates tokey-operated pin tumbler locks having the lock-controlled assemblyfeature in which the assembly, of a primary lock core mechanism, into acore receptacle of a complementing secondary lock mechanism, islockcontrolled.

Descriptz'on of drawings l am illustrating my invention by theaccompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 7 inclusive.

Figure l shows an uncombinated lock core 56' in longitudinal verticalcenter section, enlarged to approximately four times the scale of Figure5, as taken on plane 1 1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a comhinated lock core 56 in transverse vertical section,drawn to the scale of Figure 1, as taken on plane 2*2 of Figure l.

Fig. 2A is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2 except that it showsa control key instead of an operating key in the lock and shows breaksin the tumbler pins lined up on a different shear line.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the body 10 drawn to a scale ofapproximately twice that of Figure 5.

Figure 4 shows an end elevation of the body 10 drawn to the scale ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the combinated lock core 56.

Figure 6 shows a side elevation of the sleeve 18 drawn to the scale ofFigure 3.

Figure 7 shows an elevation of the said sleeve 18 drawn to the scale ofFigure 6.

General description In the various views, lock core 56' comprises body1i), face 11, sleeve 18, key plug 19 and key stop 20. rl`he body andsleeve are preferably built up of thin laminations. In Figures l and 3the body laminations preferably comprise central stampings 14, rear endstampings 13 and face stamping 12. Likewise, the sleeve, as viewed inFigures 1 and 6, is preferably built up of laminations comprisingrearward stampings 21 and forward stampings 54 uniting at divisionsurface plane 36. The rearward stampings 21, as viewed in Figures 2, 5and 6, have a wider upper extensionI 34 than the forward stampings 54forming locking lug 38 as best seen in Figures 2, 5 and 6.

The body laminations are held together by rivets 17 having heads 15staked in face lamination holes 32 at 51 upon which the whole stack ofremaining laminations is assembled and then riveted rigidly together at16. Sleeve 18 constitutes an annular ring 33, Figures 2 and 7, with itsupper extension 34 housed in recess 35 in body 10. The laminationsthereof are held together' by rivets 22 riveted at 23 and 24 intolamination recesses 39 and 37 respectively, Figures l and 7.

By means of the extension of laminations 21, beyond the outline oflaminations 54, as shown in Figures 2, 5, 6 and 7, a locking lug 38 isprovided that extends outwardly from the regular figure-8 shaped corewhen the core is combinated and in locked position as best seen inFigures 2 and 5, but which may be retracted by a control key 61, Figure2A, to the ligure-8 boundary surface.

To limit the rotative movement of the said sleeve 18 relative to body10, a hole 40 is provided in body 10, Figure 2, and a smaller diameteredpin 41 is secured in a hole 42 in sleeve 18. However, when laminationsare used, a notch-shaped recess somewhat like hole Il@ is stamped in oneor more of the said body laminations 14 and a boss, shaped like theexposed outline of pin d1, is correspondingly formed on one or moremating laminations 21 and 54 to accomplish the same purpose.

Key plug 19 is of the conventional type and is preferably made of asolid piece of material. This key plug 19 preferably has theconventional paracentric fluted key- Way 28 and key guide Z9. It alsopreferably has the conventional head 30 seated in face or body recess 31and is trapped in place by annular key stop and retaining washer 2l)riveted thereon at 25.

The conventional pin tumbler holes 26, ejection holes 43 and throw pinholes 27 are preferably drilled and reamed after the core is fullyassembled.

In the pin tumbler holes 26 are placed the conventional stacks 55, ofpin tumblers 46, driver springs 47 and retaining caps 48.

Thus is provided a core with two shears t4 and 45, the former of whichcomprise the operating shears with which breaks in the stacks 55 oftumbler pins may be aligned by the insertion of an operating key 49 topermit rotation of a key plug 19 and actuate the secondary lockmechanism, while the latter of which comprise the control shears Withwhich breaks, such as break C in Fig. 2A, in the stacks 55 of tumblerpins may be aligned by the insertion of a control key 61 to permitrotary movement of the sleeve 18 solely for extending and retractinglocking lug 33 beyond and within, respectively, the said figure-8boundary surface of said body 1li.

In all the pin tumbler holes and stacks except the rearmost, there aretwo pairs of shears; namely, operating shears 4d and control shears 45.However, in the last position there is only one pair of shears which ldesignate the common shears because they must necessarily form anintegral part with each of the other shears; namely, operating shears 44and control shears d5. The single shear in the rearmost tumbler pinbarrel shown in Fig. l is coincident with the outer surface of the keyplug 19 and the inner surface of the bore in the sleeve 18 and is thusaligned with the operating shears Ml. The notch nearest the end of allkeys to be used in the lock is bitted so that it will line up thetumbler pins in said rearmost barrel with this shear. rl'he addition ofthese common shears obviously adds an element of security to the lockingmeans of both said shears 44s and 45.

It is thought unnecessary and undesirable to show the core combinated inFigure l, since uncombinated cores are catalogued and sold as such andhen-ce an uncombinated core is a completed commercial product and alsosince some of the claims are drawn to uncombinated cores.

All of the pin tumbler holes 26 of the core as shown in Figures 2 and2A, may be considered as variously combinated, and operating and controlkeys i9 and 61 respectively are shown inserted in the keyway therein,which align various pin tumbler stack breaks on one or both of saidoperating shears 44 and control shears 45. For instance, in Figure 2,operating key 49 which may be a masten sub-master or private key is sobitted at this particular pin tumbler hole position as to bring break O2of the pin stack 55 thereof, in operating register with operating shears44. Figure 2A shows a control key 61 which is unlike key 49 in that itis bitted at this particular pin tumbler hole position, so that when itis used the who-le said stack 5'5 drops down under the urge of spring 47so as to bring break O1 in operative register with operating shears 44and break C in operative register with control shears 45.

In this instance, the same identical bitting serves as an operating aswell as a control bitting, and breaks in pin stacks of other pin tumblerholes are left to selectively differentiate its use either in anoperating or control combination.

Thus key 49 is an operating key and key 6i may be either an operating orcontrol key.

It is obvious that other breaks may be used to facilitate the use ofother keys or distinctively different bittings in the master keying ofeither or both said operating and control shears. lt is by this meansthat the various ramifications of master keying is accomplished.

It will be noted, Figure 1, as has been previously pointed out, thatthere is no control shears 45 in the rear-most pin tumbler hole, so thatall operating and control7 combinations must use the one shears in thisrearrnost stack position.

lt is thought, however, that it is not objectionable to have one lesspin tumbler hole on the control shears 45 than is provided on theoperating shears d4, particularly since relatively little master keyingis usually resorted to on said control shears 45 and hence its practicalsecurity with 4one less pin tumbler will be quite comparable with thesomewhat impaired master keyed security resulting from more breaks inthe pin tumbler stacks of the operating shears 44 of one more pintumbler stack.

The chief utilitarian ends of this improvement are the ease andcheapness of manufacture and assembly and the strength, ruggedness, goodappearance and added security thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States are as follows:

l. In a lock core, consisting of a key-operable primary lock mechanismadapted to be releasably locked to, and to complement, a secondary lockmechanism, the combination of elements comprising a body, having anotched recess on the underside thereof, a sleeve in said recess, saidbody and sleeve havin-g coaxial key plug holes lengthwise therethrough,a key plug in said key plug holes, head and washer means on said keyplug trapping said body, sleeve and key plug together in operableassembly, a number of vertical pin tumbler holes of extension downwardthrough said body and sleeve, said body and sleeve having arcuate matingsurfaces forming control shears at locations where the pin tumbler holesintersect said arcuate mating surfaces, a lug on said sleeve of arcuateextension around said sleeve and beyond the prole outline of the body asviewed in end elevations when the respective pin tumbler holes throughsaid body and sleeve are in aligned relation and of such narrowness ofsaid arcuate extension as to be retractable within the said profileoutline by rotation of said sleeve, and stacks of pin tumblers in saidpin tumbler holes having breaks between the individual pin tumblersthereof, said pin tumblers and breaks being adapted to the selectivelocking against rotation. and releasing for rotation of said sleeve bythe alignment of said pin tumblers across said control shears and thealignment of control breaks at said contro-l shears respectively, saidlug on said sleeve being capable of locking said lock core to asecondary lock mechanism when the lug is projected beyond the outline ofsaid body by rotary movement of said sleeve.

2. In a lock core, consisting of a key-operable primary lock mechanismadapted to be releasably locked to, and to complement, a secondary lockmechanism, the combination of elements comprising a body, having anotched recess on the underside thereof, a sleeve in said recess, saidbody and sleeve having coaxial key plug holes lengthwise therethrough, akey plug in said key plug holes, head and washer means on said key plugtrapping said body, sleeve and key plug together in operable assembly, anumber of vertical pin tumbler holes of extension downward through saidsleeve and into said key plug, said sleeve and key plug having matingarcuate surfaces forming operating shears where the pin tumbler holesintersect said mating arcuate surfaces, said key plug having meansadapted to the transfer of rotative motion of said key plug to asecondary lock mechanism, and stacks of pin tumblers in said pin tumblerholes having breaks between the individual pin tumblers thereof, saidpin tumblers and breaks being adapted to the selective locking againstrotation and releasing for rotation of said plug by the alignment ofsaid pin tumblers across said operating shears and the alignment ofoperating breaks at said operating shears respectively, whereby whenbreaks in the pins register with the operating shears said key plug maybe rotated in operating secondary lock mechanism.

3. ln a lock core consisting of a key-operable primary lock mechanism,the combination of elements comprising a body, having a notched recessin the underside thereof, a sleeve in said recess, said body and sleevehaving coaxial key plug holes lengthwise therethrough, and a key plug insaid key plug holes, head and washer means on said key plug trappingsaid body, sleeve and key plug together in operable assembly, a numberof vertical pin tumbler holes of extensions downward through said bodyand sleeve and into said key plug, said sleeve and key plug havingmating arcuate surfaces forming operating shears at the locations wherethe pin tumbler holes intersect the mating arcuate surfaces of saidsleeve and key plug, said body and sleeve having mating arcuate surfacesforming control shears at the locations where said pin tumbler holesintersect the arcuate mating surfaces of said body and sleeve, a lug onsaid sleeve of arcuate extension around said sleeve beyond the profileoutline of the body as viewed in end elevation when the respective pintumbler holes through said body `and sleeve are in aligned relation andof such narrowness of said arcuate extension as to be retractable withinthe said profile outline by rotation of said sleeve, said key plughaving externally engageable rotary motion transmitting means and asuitable keyway therein.

4. A primary lock core as set forth in claim 3 in which the bodycomprises relatively thin laminations parallel with the face rivetedtogether.

5. A primary lock core as set forth inI claim 3 in which the sleevecomprises relatively thin transverse laminations riveted together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS396,628 Hoevenbergh Jan. 22, 1889 806,361 Pickop Dec. 5, 1905 1,433,364Freysinger Oct. 24, 1922 1,433,591 Abell Oct. 31, 1922 1,487,307 BestMar. 18, 1924 1,575,092 Best Mar. 2, 1926 1,866,342 Best Iuly 5, 1932

